Fertilizer.



UNITED} STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

LEONARD ROBERTS COATES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, AS$IGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BACTERIA-IZED FERTILIZER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND mnrrmznn.

This invention consists :in treat' the roots of plants ,of the different s ecies of Leguminosm with their adhering acteriabearing nodules, in such manner as to pro- .duce a dry. owder consisting of amixture of a vegetab e matter and the said bacteria.-

The preferred process of obtaining the above result consists in drying the said roots with their adhering bacteria bearing nodules andgrinding them to a powder. These if not for immediate use are generally placed in suitable air-tight receptacles to protect them against moisture in the air. It IS h0wever, within the scope of the present invention to grind the plants when green, and then dry the ground material, for the reason that the result is the same, viz.-, the production of a dry concentrated material rich in bacteria adapted for incorporation With-fertilizers, or for'use in any manner whereb the bacteria is brought into contact with p ant life.-

It is well known thatbacteria when combined with an inert material such for instance as cotton, ma be retained in inactive condition for a imited time; and heretofore aqueous and other solutions containing the bacteria'have been used as a means for im,

Specification 'of Letters Patent. Application filed October 17, 1907. s w No. 397,762.

Patented Sept. 29, 19 08.

pregnating the inert material. But in all the recesses with which --I am acquainted,

, the acteria are separated from their natural envelop, and then treated. In my present invention the bacteria are never separated from the life sustaining material in which tion in an inactive state from which they may become active, is prolonged indefinitely; and further, the material may be applied to plant life strictly in accordance with natural processes, differing in no wise from the turningin of clover or pea plants in ordinary farming, except that owing to the substance'bemg a concentrated bacteria-carrying vehicle,

it maybe s aringly applied to other substances in w ich the bacteria rapidly multilply, to increase its bulk, and thereby admit o a more economical distribution of the.

bacteria tothe soil. For instance, should the entire crop of an acre of clover be returned to the earth by plowing, the bacteria used-would be in excess of what is required,

in view of their natural increase, but should one-hundredth only of the nodules of the said crop of clover be returned, the natural increase of bacteria would be availed of, and

ninety-nine per cent. of the same could be em loyed on other land. a

claim as my invention 1- An im roved bacteria carrying vehicle adapted or mixture with other materials, which-consists of dry ground roots of plants of the species of Legumtnosw with their bacteria-bearing nodules. a

LEONARD ROBERTS COATES.

Witnesses WM. T. HOWARD, THOMAS G. HULL.

they are found in nature, and their preserva- 

